ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL DRUG-DRUG INTERACTIONS AMONG ASTHMA PATIENTS - A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY FROM PAKISTAN

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that results in a constriction of the airway. The study aimed to evaluate the potential drug-drug interactions (PDIs) among asthma patients. A prospective study among asthma patients admitted in the medical ward of District Head Quarter Hospital (DHQ) in Haripur, Pakistan was conducted over three months between March to May 2023 for evaluating PDIs. Data were collected from patient records which contain details of drug therapy given to the patient for the treatment of asthma. PDIs were identified by using Micromedex and Medscape. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (version 26 for Windows Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used to analyse the data. The results of this study showed that asthma was more prevalent in females 65% (n = 78) than in males 35% (n = 42). The mean numbers of drugs that patients used were 5 (Mean). In 95% of patients' prescriptions, PDIs were identified. Among that, 46.7% of the prescriptions (n = 56) showed one DI, followed by 8.3% of the prescriptions (n = 10) that showed two DIs, 11.7% of the prescriptions (n = 14) showed three DIs, 6.7% (n = 8) of the prescriptions showed seven DIs, 5.0% (n = 6) of the prescriptions, showed five and six numbers of DIs, 3.3% (n = 2) of the prescriptions showed 10 DIs and 5.0% (n = 6) of the prescriptions showed eleven DIs. Only 5% of the investigated prescriptions didn't present any interactions. While 74.2% (n = 89) were major PDIs and 25.8% (n = 31) interactions were minor. In conclusion, the findings of this study indicated that the majority of asthma patients' prescriptions contained PDIs. Females were more likely than males to develop asthma. A healthcare professional is needed in monitoring the medication to minimize and prevent PDIs.